


Super You

by koiffish



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, superhero - au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13722012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koiffish/pseuds/koiffish
Summary: It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s Karolina Dean.Karolina only wanted to balance her life after being a superhero. It doesn’t help that there are some people who wants to know who she really is, specifically Nico Minoru who is hell-bent in trying to figure out her secret identity.





	1. Karolina Asleep In Class

“Karolina?”

Mrs. Stacey Yorkes – her biology teacher – gently shook her shoulders to wake her up. She was slumped on her desk, face buried in her arms.

Karolina jerked awake, suddenly sitting up straight and wide eyed. Her teacher stepped back, eyes even wider. Some of her classmates stared at her, most were curious, a couple looked alarmed.

“Are you okay?” Mrs. Yorkes regained her composure and approached her again, putting a palm against her forehead. “You’re really pale, Karolina. Do you want to go to the nurse?”

“What?” she was still groggy from her interrupted nap, then her vision cleared and she realized she was inside the classroom. “Oh… oh! I’m so sorry! I fell asleep, I was really tired.”

“It’s okay,” Mrs. Yorkes peered at her with concerned eyes behind a half-inch thick spectacles. “You look sick, why don’t you go to the nurse to be sure?”

Karolina gazed up at her teacher and hesitated, how would you explain to her that she was in fact, not sick, and just really didn’t get any sleep last night because she was too busy saving the world?

_Okay maybe not the whole world because it’s too big for one person alone._

That she’s a superhero? (or heroine- if we really have to be  _that_ specific)

_“Um, Mrs. Yorkes, I’m actually a superhero that only appears at night because I have school during the day. I save people – mostly from muggers and thieves. I can also fly, imagine that, haha. I wasn’t able to sleep last night because there was a burglary that happened and the police took too long to respond so I personally tracked the guy and he was really good at hiding but in the end I got him and-”_

“Karolina?”

The girl blinked, waking up from her imagination, and then made a decision. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll go to the nurse.”

She fished for her bag that had fallen to the floor and shakily got to her feet, a classmate who was sitting next to her took her arm to support her til she got out of the door.

“Feel better soon,” her teacher called after her. Karolina gave her a grateful smile and then walked slowly to the direction of the clinic.

She stopped walking when she got to the hallway, she leaned on the wall and sighed deeply. This wasn’t going well. Yes she can fly and glow – and when she does glow, her strength was tripled – but her endurance remained the same. She wasn’t very athletic in the first place and it has been too long since she stopped hiking.

Power or no powers, a couple of weeks without sleep was starting to take its toll on her. She better do something about it sooner than later.

“Karolina? Thank god I found you.”

Gertrude Yorkes – her bestfriend and Mrs. Yorkes’ daughter – also known as Gert (and will punch anyone who calls her by her full name) sporting the same specs as her mom, her hair in fifty shades of purple, and flaunting that idgaf vibe, got to Karolina in a quick series of strides and grabbed her arm.

“Why? What’s happening?”

“Mom said that you went to the nurse?”

Karolina shook her head, “Not yet, I was going to but I’m not really sick so I’m not sure.”

“Don’t go,” Gert told her firmly, she then looked around to see if there was anyone in the hallway. “What if the nurse took a blood sample and they test it, you know…” she said in a whisper.

It just dawned on Karolina. “Oh…”

“Yeah,” Gert opened her eyes really wide in a silent emphasis. “We can’t risk that.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Karolina whispered back.

“Um,” Gert paused thoughtfully. “What if you cut class?”

“I can’t cut classes, I’m already sleeping in all of them,” Karolina replied worriedly. “At this rate I don’t think I’ll be able to graduate high school at all.”

“You’re a superhero and all you can think about is graduating high school?” Gert’s voice rose a little above whisper and Karolina was quick to cover her mouth.

“Shhhh!”

“Sorry,” Gert grinned apologetically. “But seriously, Kar.”

“I have to pretend I’m still a normal teenager. I mean, I still am,” Karolina moved away from the wall. “If I flunk all my classes, my parents will get suspicious.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way,” Gert patted her back soothingly.

Just then, another person entered the hallway – Chase Stein, Gert’s on-again off-again sort of boyfriend who played for the school’s lacrosse team. Karolina don’t really know what exactly the nature of Gert and Chase’s relationship was, because sometimes they’re like a married couple, oftentimes enemies, and they even acted like they didn’t know each other for two weeks.

“Hey guys,” Chase shouldered his lacrosse stick and waved at them. “What are you doing here? Don’t have classes?”

“Karolina’s not feeling well, I just accompanied her to the nurse,” Gert quickly answered for both of them, then eyed Chase shiftily. “What are _you_ doing here? Don’t have classes?”

“We got practice on the field, we’re excused,” Chase glanced down on his watch. “Well, I have to go. See you later, Gert. Hope you feel better soon, Karolina.”

“Thanks,” both girls watched him quietly until he disappeared on the corner.

“What now?” Karolina turned to Gert, hands gripping the straps of her backpack.

Gert sighed and took her arm, leading her to the stairs. “No other way around it, you have to sleep or you’ll faint.”

“The question is where?”

The answer that her friend gave her was the school’s rooftop where the botany club has installed some sort of a garden and a few terrariums. There were also some benches and a small shed, however, they sometimes lock the rooftop door.

Gert turned the knob and scowled, “It’s locked,” she then rummaged in her bag and brought out two hairpins, then shamelessly picked the lock.

“Your skills never cease to amaze me,” Karolina complimented her as Gert swung the door open.

Gert beamed smugly. “I don’t have powers so I try to keep up,” she stepped out to the rooftop but paused after a few paces. “Oh, someone’s here.”

Karolina followed her cautiously. “Who?”

That someone was a Japanese girl sitting lotus-style on one of the benches, wearing dark round sunglasses and reading a book under the sun.

“Wait, isn’t that-” Gert squinted her eyes when she recognized who it was, then her lips stretch in a mischievous smile. “I’ll go now, I still have classes. I’ll check on you later.”

Karolina peeked over a few large ferns to get a glimpse of whoever it was. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed deep red when she did.

“Gert, wait-” she caught the arm of her friend before Gert could escape and close the door. “Don’t leave me.”

“What?” Gert’s face was nonchalant but her eyes betrayed the mischief. “Just go to the shed and sleep there, I’m sure the girl won’t bother you. She looks pretty busy herself.”

“But she’s-”

“Oh yeah, you used to have a crush on her, right?” Gert was obviously enjoying the horrified expression on Karolina’s face when she started teasing.

“Don’t leave me here,” Karolina hissed but Gert had already closed the door in her face after she wrestled herself free of Karolina’s grasp.

“Gert-”

“Have fun!” the purple-haired girl called from the other side of the door.

Karolina could only sigh.

_Well, she said to have fun._


	2. Karolina Didn't Get Any Sleep Because Nico Minoru Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina finally got to talk to her crush. Yay. However...

Karolina stood there for a minute before finding her courage to get out behind the leafy foliage of the ferns. She walked timidly to the direction of the shed, head bowed and eyes on the floor but fully aware of the girl’s presence in the bench.

The reading girl didn’t even look up when Karolina walked past her. She seemed really skilled on staying in the same sitting position for a long time.

Karolina finally released her abated breath when she reached the shed – it was really just four sturdy posts with a roof overhead and long wooden benches on either side. She dropped her bag on a bench and contemplated on how she will sleep.

In the end she just sat there, feeling utterly stupid and not a smidge of an idea on what she’ll do next until her eyes automatically drifted to the other human being on the roof aside from her dumb self.

_Nico Minoru._

The silent and smart, all-black wearing, no-nonsense girl of their school. She did not belong to any cliques – she was her very own clique – nor she joined any clubs or participated in social gatherings unless it was an absolute must. She was admired and avoided in equal manner – both a queen and an outcast. Sometimes she could be seen hanging out with that spectacled geeky kid, Alex Wilder.

Karolina wondered if they were dating. Or if Nico was dating anyone.

She felt herself a little bit jealous at the thought. As much as she pretended and insisted – to Gert most especially – that she’s over her crush on Nico, seeing her again like this brought back certain emotions.

Wistfully and a bit consciously, she continued staring at Nico, hoping that she could have some nerve to go and talk to her. But the more she stared, the more she felt nervous. Nico was just so cool with her hair up in a messy bun, a black choker on her neck, and her dark maroon leather jacket with metallic studs.

“Aren’t you hot?” Karolina blurted before she could stop herself. As soon as the words escaped her lips she regretted them.

 _Oh my god, Karolina_ – she mentally scolded herself – _shut the fuck up before you embarrass yourself further._

Nico slowly looked up from her book and Karolina though she’d faint from nerves when the girl’s solemn gaze landed on her. Her expression was inscrutable behind the dark glasses.

“I’m sorry-”

_Omg. Stop talking._

“It’s just, it’s really hot today and you’re wearing a leather jacket-”

_Please. Shut. Up._

“And you’re out there in the sun-”

_FFS. Bite. Your. Tongue._

“I need to shut up now, don’t I?” Karolina huffed, drowning in embarrassment.

“No,” a measured but amused smile crept in Nico’s lips. “I just find it interesting that I’m the one who is supposed to be hot, but you’re the one looking very red right now.”

_Oh shit._

“Oh… I’m not-” Karolina stammered, stumbling over words and managed to get even redder in the process. “I just really look like this, I’m not blushing or anything. It’s not-”

_For gay gods’ sake, Karolina Dean. You useless closeted lesbian._

“I’ll take your word for it,” Nico drawled, she then closed her book and gazed up at the cloudless blue sky. “You’re right, it’s kinda hot today.”

 _You’re hotter_ – Karolina wanted to say but succeeded to choke it down the last second.

_Where’s your chill at, girl? Seriously?_

Karolina’s eyes widened and panicked slightly when Nico stood up from the bench and strode towards the shed.

 _Is she going to sit here- fuck, she is._ Karolina’s brain was in danger of going haywire with Nico’s every step. And when Nico entered the shade, Karolina stopped breathing.

“May I sit here?” Nico slid her glasses off her face and casually pocketed them.

Karolina just nodded once and grunted, not trusting herself to speak.

Nico took the seat beside her and Karolina instinctively recoiled away, inching to the edge of the bench and gripped her bag closer to her body.

The girl in the leather jacket chuckled in amusement, noting her terrified expression. “Don’t be scared, I don’t bite,” she said, giving Karolina a small cute wink, “At least not during the day,” she added slyly.

Karolina discreetly licked her lips, suddenly feeling the need for a sip of water. She inhaled deeply but stopped when Nico’s perfume wafted to her and filled her nostrils. It only occurred to Karolina that they’re just a few feet apart and-

Nico nonchalantly shrugged off her jacket and folded them carefully next to her on the bench, then sat back and crossed her legs. Her head swiveled to Karolina’s direction and she smiled lightly.

The blonde could not decide if she was in heaven or in hell.

“I’m Nico,” the girl now only garbed in a black tank top with far too many straps offered her hand which was partly covered in a fingerless glove. “Nico Minoru.”

_I’m gay. Gay for you._

“Karolina, Karolina Dean,” they shook hands briefly and Karolina sent her thanks to all the saints that her hands didn’t tremble with Nico’s touch.

“So, Karolina Dean,” Nico said. “Were you dismissed early?”

Karolina was suddenly embarrassed that her real purpose of going to the roof was to sleep that she wasn’t able to answer the question right away.

“Uh…”

“You don’t have to answer that if you’re not comfortable,” Nico said hurriedly. She probably thought that Karolina might get offended. “I was just curious, that’s all. Because most of the time, I’m alone here.”

“You don’t have afternoon classes?” Karolina croaked, her throat was so parched it felt like a freakin desert.

“I’m… ahead of my lessons,” Nico looked smug and shy at the same time. “So I come up here to read or to sleep.”

Karolina just nodded, didn’t know what to say. And she was afraid that if she started talking again, she might say some things that were better left unsaid.

There was just silence after that, both girls stared ahead at the view of the botany club’s overgrown garden which could only be appropriately described as controlled chaos. The club had put up vertical trellis on one side of the roof where flowering vines thrived so much that they just looked like a solid wall of greenery; there were large ferns everywhere, a few bonsai trees in large earthen pots, a field of tiny cacti, orchids and ornamental plants scattered all over.

The air smelled sweeter up there. Or it’s possibly just because of Nico and her perfume.

“You probably don’t remember but we shared classes before,” Karolina finally had the guts to break the spell of silence. “History and Literature, I think?”

Nico stared at her thoughtfully. “That’s probably why you look familiar-” but she took her eyes away from Karolina when her phone gave a series of beeps indicating a message.

Never before in her life that Karolina hated mobile phones more than this moment.

Nico read the message quickly and stashed her phone away again, she picked her jacket up and smiled apologetically to Karolina.

“I have to go,” she said, stepping out of the shed. “Nice meeting you. Karolina.”

“You too,” Karolina managed through her disappointment. “See you around.”

+

Nico entered their school library and smiled at the librarian who was busy behind the counter, the librarian smiled back and nodded to her.

“Hey Nics,” her friend and literal partner-in-crime Alex Wilder waved at her from the corner of the expansive room. “Over here.”

Alex Wilder was one of those kids that are way smarter than they look, and Alex already looked smart as heck. He’s got computer skills that could rival your above-average blackhat and once or twice almost got in trouble with the law for his ‘escapades’ with an underground hacking group that he belongs to.

“What do you have?” Nico whispered as she sidled in beside Alex who was hunched over his keyboard.

“Well, I got a footage you might be interested in,” Alex pulled up a video that definitely came from a cctv camera. It showed a female figure clothed in black pants, plain black hoodie, and a black mask covering half her face, a few strands of her black hair came loose beneath the hood covering her head. She was just standing on the pavement, motionless.

“I got this footage from a convenience store’s cctv,” Alex explained while they watched. “Maybe four blocks away, someone called 911 for a burglary last night, it was in one of the shady neighborhoods that even the police wouldn’t touch so the response was slower than a turtle with an elephant strapped to its back.”

Nico snorted and was gonna say something when the figure moved suddenly, and another person came to their view – a man. Nico’s heartbeat quickened when the female figure’s skin glowed – literally glowed – and punched the man on the stomach. It looked painful.

Alex winced as if he was the one who was punched. Nico didn’t even blink, her mouth was a thin line.

After the punching, the female figure warily approached the man who was now sprawled on the street in the corner of the video. When she was sure that he was unconscious, she unceremoniously picked him up and then walked out on the street, disappearing from their view.

“That’s all I got, she’s getting craftier in dodging security cameras,” Alex pulled up a police mugshot that was taken just this morning. “This is _that_ man, the same man who was involved in the burglary. He was apparently found in the trunk of a police car with a written note on why he was there.”

Nico didn’t reply, she just sat back and closed her eyes. In her mind were just four words.

_I. Will. Find. You._


	3. Karolina Needed A Superhero Name And A Tutor- Gert Will Provide Both Because Gert Is That Awesome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone wants Karolina dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gert wrote the chapter titles, don't fight me on this.

“¡Hola mi amiga!” Gert waved at her cheerily ten minutes after Karolina heard the dismissal bell rang. She was still on the roof and just spacing out. “¿Cómo estás?”

“No está bien,” she replied curtly, her head has started to ache from sleep deprivation. After Nico left, she settled on the bench to try and catch some Z’s but they’ve been proven super elusive. Not to mention her thoughts always seem to float back to Nico like an iron to a magnet so it became harder to fall asleep.

_Easier to fall in love._

It goes without saying that her crush was back on full blown with the raging hormones of teenage gayness.

“¿Por qué?” Gert sat on the bench across from her and studied her dark baggy eyes with an arched brow.

Karolina sighed in exhaustion. Gert and her random Español outbursts. She racked her brain for Spanish words that would explain her current predicament but nope, her limited Spanish knowledge was a lot more elusive than sleep.

“You think leaving me alone with _the_ Nico Minoru will get me some peaceful sleep?” And when Gert opened her mouth to talk, Karolina held up a hand. “Please speak in English, I’m already having a hard time as it is.”

“But what’s the problem?” Gert asked innocently. “Here I thought you said before that you’ve moved on,” she made quote signs in the air with her fingers, “And I quote: _I’m over her, Gert. I’ve moved on and I’m not going back_.”

“Well, it was different, okay?” Karolina tried to defend herself. “It’s not the same when she’s so near. Did you know that she talked to me?”

“Really?”

“You think I’m making it up?” Karolina was indignant. She’s not _that_ hopeless, ok?

“No, but…” Gert shrugged and looked at her seriously in the eyes. “You know you tend to say some stupid things when you’re flustered, right?”

_Right. It did happen._

“That’s not the point,” Karolina insisted. “The point is that we talked. And she’s so chill like, I can’t even.”

“Okay, okay,” Gert conceded and then asked, “What did you talk about?”

“Uh… the weather?”

Gert leaned over the bench to have a peek of the still cloudless blue sky. “I hope you didn’t mention that it’s a hot day and she’s still wearing a leather jacket,” she said after a while, glancing casually at the blonde one.

“Nope,” Karolina avoided meeting Gert’s teasing eyes. She could feel the start of a blush beneath her skin.

Sometimes she wondered if Gert could read minds, like it wouldn’t even be surprising at all if she did.

“Because that’s the most typical thing I’d expect you to say,” Gert said, smirking, then she turned sober. “Also, my mom told me that you got an F in your latest biology test. She’s really worried about you and wants to talk to your parents.”

“Oh my god,” Karolina groaned to her hands. “What am I gonna do.”

“You need to sleep,” Gert advised gently. “And also maybe a tutor to help you catch up with your lessons if you still want to stay in school.”

Karolina looked up and gave Gert a dazzling smile that could melt icebergs in the Arctic. “You’re gonna tutor me?” she asked hopefully.

Gert was unfazed, she just rolled her eyes. “Please, I could never stand you as my student. It’d be a miracle if I tutored you and we have not yet crazy murdered each other in 15 minutes.”

Karolina pouted, still pleading. “But you love me…”

“I do love you,” Gert agreed, nodding. “But that doesn’t mean that I always like you.”

“Fine,” the blonde sighed, letting the argument go. “Where am I gonna find a tutor, then?”

It was Gert’s turn to smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll find one.”

Karolina glared at her suspiciously but didn’t say anything. She looked like she’s up to something, and knowing Gert, she’s always up to something.

“Don’t let my parents know, okay? I’m still not ready to explain stuff to them.”

“Are you sure you still don’t wanna come out?” Gert started to ask and Karolina glared again, a lot more intensely this time. “-as a superhero?”

“Gert!”

“Okay, fine!” Gert raised her hands before her friend could get an idea to maybe throw her off the roof. “Let’s just get you home so you can sleep in peace.”

+

After four straight hours of sleep and a late dinner alone – her parents went out to a social event and probably won’t be back after midnight – Karolina opened her laptop to get the notes that some of her closest classmates had sent her when they learned she failed several of her tests.

She was reading them when she started thinking about her future. Does she really want to be a superhero all her life? Granted that her parents would allow her to. How will she make a living? Gert once joked that she could just open a GoFundMe account and people will be more than willing to send her money because the idea of superheroes was attracting to the masses who are starving for someone to idolize and look up to.

What if she’s not the only super in this world? And what if – god forbid – there were also supervillains?

Karolina shuddered at the thought. She knew she could easily take on petty criminals and maybe low-level thugs, but someone who also got powers and an evil intention? It was beyond her capabilities.

Her musings were cut off when a window popped up on her screen monitor, Gert was calling her.

“You need a superhero name,” were Gert’s first words when she answered the video call.

“Hello to you, too,” Karolina said. The superhero name was a familiar subject to her because Gert had been bugging Karolina about it since the night they found out she has supernatural abilities and decided to put it to good use.

“Gert, I told you, I don’t really need a superhero name-”

“Do you know what the people of the internets want to call you?” Gert said, her pitch rising with every word. “Human Glowstick! HUMAN GLOWSTICK! It’s the top worldwide trend on Twitter! Karolina, I am dying of shame!”

Karolina burst into an uncontrollable laughter, she gasped for air and needed at least several minutes to compose herself. On the other side of the line however, Gert was fuming.

“It sounds like a D-rated comedy parody of a superhero movie,” she continued, her face was a mix of at least five strong emotions. “There are articles everywhere! There’s even a BuzzFeed list of _Ten Reasons Why Human Glowstick Is The Perfect Name For The Mysterious Heroine_.”

Karolina was still grinning widely and chuckling to herself as she clicked the links of the articles Gert has sent her.

“The creativity and the stupidity of the internet is astounding,” Gert shook her head and took off her glasses to rub her tired eyes. “Some are even calling you a vigilante and believes you shouldn’t do what you’re doing because you’re not with the law blah blah blah…”

“I’ve told you to ignore those people,” Karolina said calmly. “We can’t please them all. No matter what I do, there will be critics.”

“No,” Gert was firm and wouldn’t budge for anything. “There you are saving people and risking your identity, your studies, and your life. And these lame excuses for human beings are talking shit about you when they wouldn’t even lift a finger to help others. I’m not having any of their bullshits.”

_Gertrude Yorkes, ladies and gentlemen._

Karolina felt a warm feeling blossomed in her chest. For the nth time, she was reminded of how awesome this person was and she’s infinitely grateful that she had a Gert in her life. “Gert…”

“And don’t go out tonight,” her friend said, still firm but more gently now. “Go to sleep. Please.”

“You know I can’t do that,” she mumbled quietly. “What if there’s someone that needs saving and I’m not there-”

“Karolina, if you don’t sleep you will die,” Gert suddenly looked very threatening. “You may have powers but you’re not immortal – at least not that we know of.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Gert was adamant, her face looming on the screen. “I’ll check on you tomorrow and if I find out that you didn’t sleep, I’m gonna kill you myself. Better start writing your last will and testament.”

“Okay, geez, I’ll sleep.”

“Good,” Karolina saw Gert picked up her phone and read a text then looked at her again. “You’ll meet your tutor tomorrow. Rest up, buttercup.”

“Thanks,” Karolina smiled gratefully. “I love you.”

Gert rolled her eyes but she was smiling. “I love you, too, you dork.”

+

Promises were meant to be broken. Just for an hour, at least, Karolina told herself. And she did say that she will sleep, but she didn’t say that she won’t go out.

Karolina couldn’t help but to go out again that night but vowed to also go back home before her parents do. She glanced on her watch, 11:25PM. Still have 35 minutes to go.

The night was relatively quiet, perhaps almost too quiet that it was unnerving. This kind of silence was not typical. Karolina was contemplating whether to just call it a night when she heard a shrill scream.

It was coming from between those dilapidated buildings in one of the darker streets in a gang-infested part of the city.

Two muggers were harassing a middle-aged woman in a dark alley, one of them was holding a knife while the other was tugging the woman’s purse but the lady wasn’t letting go. She crept in the shadows, hidden from them.

“Help! Help me!”

“Shut up!” the one holding a knife said angrily. “No one will hear you!”

“Give me the bag, you-” a trashcan lid banged against the temple of the mugger and cut off whatever garbage he was about to say. He dropped to the ground, groaning in pain and cradling his head.

The one with the knife brandished it and even tried to stab Karolina with it but the girl just kicked it away, breaking his wrist in the process. He howled and she knocked him out by punching him in the face.

A gunshot shattered the silence of the night.

Karolina’s ears rang painfully as she whirled around to look for the source of the bullet that very nearly blown her brains out.

The barrel of the gun was pointed directly between her eyes, the one holding it was the same lady who was getting robbed before. Gone was her terrified façade and her expression displayed pure malice now.

“Got you, bitch.”

Karolina’s eyes widened when she realized what happened.

_It was a set-up. Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I live for plot twists and cliffhangers ;P  
> also thank you to the ones who said they like my writing style, lol, it's just I stopped writing for a while and thankful that it didn't disappear. Also shout out to my friends, you might not know it's me but I just wanna say I started writing again, haha. Have a great weekend, everyone! - Koi


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